Editing 1620s

{{Short description|Decade}}
The '''1620s''' decade ran from January 1, 1620, to December 31, 1629.

{{Decadebox|162}}
[[File:1622 massacre jamestown de Bry.jpg|thumb|March 22, 1622: [[Jamestown massacre]].]]
{{Events by year for decade|162}}

==Significant people==
* [[Antonio Maria Abbatini]] of Rome (c.1595–1680), composer
* [[George Abbot (bishop)|George Abbot]] of England (1562–1633), Archbishop of Canterbury, held position 1611–1633
* [[Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar]] of Spain (1567–1626), Spanish ambassador to England-Wales
* [[Thomas Adams (publisher)|Thomas Adams]] of England (1566–1620), publisher
* [[Niccolò Alamanni]] of Rome (1583–1626), Catholic priest, antiquarian, and custodian of the [[Vatican Library]]
* [[Albert VII, Archduke of Austria|Albert VII]] (1559–1621), Archduke of Austria and governor (1596–1598) and Co-sovereign of the [[Spanish Netherlands]] (modern-day Belgium and [[Luxembourg]]) with [[Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain]], held position (as Co-sovereign) 1598–1621
* [[William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling]] of Scotland (1570–1640), Scottish colonial organizer of [[Nova Scotia]] and [[Secretary for Scotland]]
* [[Alexander III of Imereti|Alexander of Imereti]] (1609–1660), Imeretian Prince and future King of Imereti
* [[Manuel de Almeida]] of Portugal (1580–1646), Jesuit Missionary and [[ambassador]] to the [[Emperor of Ethiopia]]
* [[Pope Clement X|Emilio Bonaventura Altieri]] of Rome (1590–1676), Catholic bishop and future Pope
* [[Giambattista Andreini]] of Tuscany (1576–1654), actor and playwright
* [[Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo]] of Genoa (1584–1638), painter
* Sir [[Samuel Argall]] (1580–1626), former deputy governor of Virginia and current naval officer in the English navy
* [[Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan|Abdul Hasan Asaf-Khan]] of Persia (?-1641), Grand Vizer of the Mughal Empire (and brother of Nur Jahan), in office c.1611–1632
* [[Sir Thomas Aylesbury, 1st Baronet]] of England (1576–1657), Baronet and [[Surveyor of the Navy|Surveyor of the English Royal Navy]]
* [[Francis Bacon]] of England (1561–1626), philosopher, jurist, scientist, writer, and politician; specifically Member of Parliament, [[Attorney General for England and Wales]] (1613–1617), and [[Lord Chancellor]] (1617–1621)
* [[Nathaniel Bacon (painter)|Nathaniel Bacon]] of England (1585–1627), painter (not to be confused with the [[Nathaniel Bacon (colonist)|leader of the same name]] of [[Bacon's Rebellion]])
* [[William Baffin]] of England (?–1622), navigator and explorer
* [[Francesco Barberini (seniore)|Francesco Barberini, seniore]] of Florence (1597–1679), Cardinal and diplomat
* [[Jakob Bartsch]] of [[Lusatia]] (1600–1633), astronomer
* [[François de Bassompierre]] of France (1579–1646), [[courtier]] and [[Marshal of France]]
* [[Robert Bellarmine]] (1542–1621), Italian Jesuit and Cardinal
* [[Bernard of Saxe-Weimar]] (1604–1639), nobleman and general
* [[Pierre de Bérulle]] of France (1575–1629), Cardinal and diplomat
* [[Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully]] of France (1560–1641), [[Favourite]] and minister under Henry IV and Louis XIII
* [[Andries Bicker]] of the Netherlands (1586–1652), administrator of the [[Dutch East India Company]], Mayor of Amsterdam, and diplomat
* [[Willem Blaeu]] of the Netherlands (1571–1638), cartographer and publisher
* [[Abraham Bloemaert]] of the Netherlands (1566–1651), painter and printmaker
* [[Jakob Böhme]] of Görlitz (1575–1624), Christian mystic
* [[Juan Pablo Bonet]] of Spain (c.1573-1633), Catholic priest and inventor of the [[sign language]] alphabet
* [[François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières]] of France (1543–1626), [[Constable of France]]
* [[Sidonia von Borcke]] of Pomerania (1548–1620), noblewoman and [[Witch-hunt]] victim (as well as a figure of later legends)
* [[Federico Borromeo]] of Milan (1564–1631), Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan
* [[Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork]] (1566–1643), Anglo-Irish politician
* [[William Bradford (Plymouth governor)|William Bradford]] (1590–1657), Prominent Leader and Governor of the Plymouth colony, in office 1621–1633, 1635–1636, 1637–1638, 1639–1644, 1645–1657
* [[Jean de Brébeuf]] of France (1593–1649), Jesuit missionary
* [[William Brewster (pilgrim)|William Brewster]] (c.1566-1644), Puritan preacher and Plymouth leader
* [[Henry Briggs (mathematician)|Henry Briggs]] of England (1561–1630), mathematician
* [[Étienne Brûlé]] of France (1592?–1633), explorer
* [[John Bull (composer)|John Bull]] of England (1562?-1628), composer and musician
* [[Karel Bonaventura Buquoy]] of France (1571–1621), general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire
* [[Robert Burton (scholar)|Robert Burton]] of England (1577–1640), scholar
* [[Estêvão Cacella]] of Portugal (1585–1630), [[Jesuit]] missionary
* [[Pedro Calderón de la Barca]] of Spain (1600–1681), playwright and poet
* [[George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore]] of England (1579–1632), nobleman, Member of Parliament, [[Secretary of State (England)|Secretary of State]], and English colonizer of the North America (most notably the founder of the [[Province of Avalon]] in Newfoundland and future founder of [[Maryland]])
* [[William Camden]] of England (1551–1623), historian and topographer
* [[Tommaso Campanella]] (1568–1639), Italian philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet
* [[John Carver (Mayflower passenger)|John Carver]] (1576?-1621), Leader and First Governor of the Plymouth Colony, in office 1620–1621
* [[Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland]] of England (1575–1633), military officer, colonizer, and [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]
* [[Ernest Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz|Ernst Casimir]] of the Netherlands (1573–1632), nobleman and military commander
* [[Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil]] of Ireland (1571–1626), Catholic theologian and [[Archbishop of Armagh]]
* [[Samuel de Champlain]] (1570?–1635), French explorer, administrator of New France, and founder of [[Quebec City]]
* [[Charles I, Duke of Mantua|Charles I]] of Gonzaga-Nevers (1580–1637), Duke of Nevers and Mantua (claim for the later supported by France)
* [[Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy|Charles Emmanuel I]] of Savoy (1562–1630), Duke of Savoy and Papal backed candidate to the throne of the Duchy of Mantua
* [[Ivan Cherkassky]] of Russia (1580?-1642), [[boyar]] and head of the Treasury, [[Streletsky Prikaz]] and Aptekarsky Prikaz, in office 1621–1622 (as Treasurer), 1622–23 (as head of the Streletsky Prikaz and Aptekarsky Prikaz)
* [[Jan Karol Chodkiewicz]] of Poland (1560–1621), military commander
* [[Christian the Younger of Brunswick]] (1599–1626), Duke of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]] and Protestant Commander
* [[Antonio Cifra]] of Rome (1584–1629), composer
* [[Jan Pieterszoon Coen]] of the Netherlands (1587–1629), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
* Sir [[Edward Coke]] of England (1552–1634), [[Jurist]] and [[Member of Parliament]]
* Sir [[John Coke]] of England (1563–1644), Member of Parliament and Secretary of State
* [[Nicolò Contarini]] of Venice (1553–1631), politician and future Doge of Venice
* [[Diego Fernández de Córdoba, Marquis of Guadalcázar]] of Spain (1578–1630), nobleman and Viceroy of [[New Spain]] and Peru, in office 1612–1621 (New Spain), 1622–1629 (Peru)
* [[Gregorio Nuñez Coronel]] of Portugal (1548–1620), [[Hermits of St. Augustine|Augustinian]] theologian, writer, and preacher
* [[Adam de Coster]] of Flanders (1586–1643), painter
* [[Nathaniel Courthope]] of England (1585–1620), merchant navy officer
* [[Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry]] of England (1578–1640), Judge, Member of Parliament, and politician (specifically [[Solicitor General for England and Wales|Soliticar General]] (1617–1621), [[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]] (1621–1625), and [[Lord Chancellor]] (1625–1640))
* [[Oliver Cromwell]] of England (1599–1658), Member of Parliament, general, and future ruler of England-Wales, Scotland, and Ireland
* [[Sir Sackville Crowe, 1st Baronet]] of England (1595–1671), [[baronet]], Treasurer of the Navy, Member of Parliament, and future ambassador
* [[Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de Bedmar]] of Spain (1572–1655), diplomat and Catholic theologian
* [[Robert Cushman]] of England (1578–1625), Plymouth colony organizer
* [[Cyril Lucaris|Cyril I]] (1572–1638), [[List of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]], held position in 1612, 1620–1623, 1623–1633, 1633–1634, 1634–1635, 1637–1638
* [[Daišan]] of Manchuria (1583–1648), Manchurian prince (brother of [[Huang Taiji]]) and military commander
* [[Mir Damad]] of Persia (?–1631), philosopher
* [[John Danvers]] of England (1588–1655), courtier and politician
* [[Date Masamune]] of Japan (1567–1636), Daimyō of Sendai
* [[John Davies (poet, born 1569)|John Davies]] of England (1569–1626), lawyer, poet, and politician (specifically Attorney General of Ireland, Member of Parliament, and Judge)
* [[John Davies (Mallwyd)|John Davies (AKA Mallwyd)]] of Wales (1567–1644), scholar, translator, and Anglican priest
* [[Dawar]] of India (?–1628), Mughal Prince
* [[Thomas Dekker (writer)|Thomas Dekker]] of England (1572–1632), playwright and poet
* [[Joseph Solomon Delmedigo]] (1591–1655), Italian rabbi, author, physician, mathematician, and music theorist
* [[Thomas Dempster]] of Scotland (1579–1625), scholar and historian
* [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]] of England (1591–1646), nobleman and military commander
* [[Kenelm Digby]] of England (1603–1665), courtier, diplomat, privateer, and philosopher
* [[John Donne]] of England (1571?–1631), Anglican priest, poet, and philosopher
* [[Michael Drayton]] of England (1563–1631), poet
* [[Cornelius Drebbel]] of the Netherlands (1572–1633), inventor
* [[Jeremias Drexel]] of Bavaria (1581–1638), Catholic theologian and Court Preacher at the court of Prince-Elector Maximilian I
* [[Robert Dudley, styled Earl of Warwick|Robert Dudley]] of England (1574–1649), explorer and geographer
* [[Pierre Dupuy (scholar)|Pierre Dupuy]] of France (1582–1651), scholar
* [[Mar Elia Shimun X]], [[List of Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon|Patriarch]] of the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] (Patriarchate then based in [[Salamas]], in modern-day Iran. However a later Patriarch, Mar Shimun XIII Dinkha, broke the union with the Catholic Church, thus he and other Patriarchs of the Shimun line are sometimes list as Patriarchs of the [[Assyrian Church of the East]]), held position 1600–1653<ref name="friesian.com">{{cite web|title=Popes & Patriarchs, Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, etc. |url=http://www.friesian.com/popes.htm#east |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430170218/http://www.friesian.com/popes.htm |archive-date=2009-04-30 |url-status=live |access-date=2009-07-08 }}</ref>
* Sir [[John Eliot (statesman)|John Eliot]] of England (1592–1632), [[Vice-Admiral of Devon]] and Member of Parliament
* [[Mar Eliyya IX]], [[List of Patriarchs of the Church of the East|Patriarch]] of the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (Patriarchate then based in [[Alqosh]], in modern-day Iraq), held position in 1617–1660<ref name="friesian.com"/>
* [[John Endecott]] (1588?–1665), founder and first governor of the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
* [[Alonso Fajardo de Entenza]] of Spain (?-1624), governor-general of the Philippines, in office 1618–1624
* [[Francesco Erizzo]] of Venice (1566–1646), diplomat and future Doge of Venice
* [[Thomas van Erpe]] of the Netherlands (1584–1624), [[Oriental studies|Orientalist Scholar]]
* [[Fakhr-al-Din II]] (1572–1635), Lebanese prince and governor of the Ottoman province of Syria, in office (as governor) 1624–1632
* [[Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland]] of England (1580–1629), nobleman and statesman
* [[John Felton (assassin)|John Felton]] of England (1595–1628), soldier and assassin of [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]]
* [[Nicholas Felton (bishop)|Nicholas Felton]] of England (1556–1626), academic and Anglican cleric
* [[Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria]] (1609–1641), nobleman, Spanish Prince (Infante), and Cardinal
* [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand IV, Archduke of Austria]] (1608–1657), Habsburg Prince and future Holy Roman Emperor
* [[Domenico Fetti]] of Rome (1589–1623), painter
* [[Fidelis of Sigmaringen]] (1578–1622), [[Order of Friars Minor Capuchin|Capuchin]] friar and Martyr
* [[William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele]] of England (1582–1662), nobleman and statesman
* [[Patriarch Filaret (Feodor Romanov)|Filaret (AKA Feodor Romanov)]] of Russia (1553–1633), Patriarch of Moscow and statesman, held position (as Patriarch) 1612–1629
* [[John Fletcher (playwright)|John Fletcher]] of England (1579–1625), playwright
* [[John Ford (dramatist)|John Ford]] of England (1586-1640?), playwright and poet
* [[Frederick III of Denmark|Frederick of Denmark]] (1609–1670), Danish Prince and future King of Denmark and Norway
* [[Frederick V, Elector Palatine|Frederick V of the Palatinate]]/I of Bohemia (1596–1632), Prince-Elector of the Palatinate and King of Bohemia (a sub-state of the Holy Roman Empire), r. 1610–1623 (as Prince-Elector of the Palatinate) and r. 1619–1620 (as King of Bohemia)
* [[Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Frederick Ulrich]] (1591–1634), [[Principality of Calenberg#House of Wolfenb.C3.BCttel|Duke of Brunswick-Calenberg]], held position 1613–1634
* [[Galileo Galilei]] of Tuscany (1564–1642), astronomer and physicist
* [[Gang Hong-rip]] of Korea, treasonous general who aided the Manchus
* [[Gaston, Duke of Orléans]] of France (1608–1660), French Prince (brother of Louis XIII) and commander of the aristocratic revolt at [[Les Ponts-de-Cé]]
* [[Artemisia Gentileschi]] of Rome (1593–1656), painter
* [[George William, Elector of Brandenburg|George William]] (1595–1640), Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia
* [[Johann Gerhard]] (1582–1637), German Lutheran theologian
* [[Hessel Gerritsz]] of the Netherlands (1581–1632), cartographer
* [[Orlando Gibbons]] of England (1583–1625), composer and organist
* [[Thomas Goffe]] of England (1591–1629), playwright
* [[Luis de Góngora]] of Spain (1561–1627), poet, playwright, and writer
* [[Roque González de Santa Cruz|Roque González]] (1576–1628), Spanish-[[South America|American]] Jesuit missionary and martyr
* Sir [[Ferdinando Gorges]] of England (1565–1647), colonial entrepreneur in North America and founder of [[Maine]]
* [[Ivan Tarasievich Gramotin]] of Russia (?–1638), diplomat and head of the ''[[Posolsky Prikaz]]'', held position 1619–1626
* [[Orazio Grassi]] (1583–1654), Italian mathematician, astronomer, and architect
* [[Sir Richard Grenville, 1st Baronet|Richard Grenville]] of England (1600–1658), Anglo-Cornish soldier, Member of Parliament, and future [[Baronet]] and Royalist Commander
* [[Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke]] of England (1554–1628), nobleman, statesman, and writer
* [[Hugo Grotius]] of the Netherlands (1583–1645), philosopher and writer
* [[Jan Gruter]] of the Netherlands (1560–1627), scholar
* [[Mario Guiducci]] of Tuscany (1585–1646), lawyer and associate of Galileo Galilei during the dispute with [[Orazio Grassi]]
* [[Jean Guiton]] of France (1585–1654), [[Huguenot]] rebel and Admiral
* [[Edmund Gunter]] of England (1581–1626), mathematician
* [[John Guy (governor)|John Guy]] (?-1629), former governor of [[History of Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] and current Member of the Parliament of England
* [[Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares]] of Spain (1587–1645), nobleman and Chief Minister under Philip III and Philip IV, held position 1618–1643
* [[John Hampden]] of England (1595–1643), Member of Parliament and future Parliamentarian commander during the [[English Civil War]]
* [[Kryštof Harant]] of Bohemia (1564–1621), nobleman, traveller, humanist, soldier, writer and composer
* [[William Harvey]] of England (1578–1657), physician who discovered the systematic circulation of blood
* [[Hasekura Tsunenaga]] of Japan (1571–1622), diplomat
* [[Richard Hawkins]] of England (1562–1622), explorer and [[privateer]]
* [[George Hay, 1st Earl of Kinnoull]] of Scotland (1572–1634), nobleman, judge and [[Lord Chancellor of Scotland]], held position (as chancellor) 1622–1634
* [[James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle]] of Scotland (c.1590–1636), nobleman and diplomat
* [[Piet Pieterszoon Hein]] of the Netherlands (1577–1629), Vice-Admiral of the [[Dutch West India Company]]
* [[Henrietta Maria of France]] (1609–1669), French princess and [[Queen Consort]] of England-Wales and Scotland
* [[Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury]] of Wales (1583–1648), diplomat, poet, and philosopher
* [[George Herbert]] of Wales (1593–1633), poet, orator and Anglican priest
* [[Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke|Philip Herbert]] of England (1584–1649), nobleman (future Earl of Pembroke) and politician
* [[William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke]] of England (1580–1630), nobleman, [[Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall]] County and Chancellor of the [[University of Oxford]], held position 1601-1630 (as Earl), 1604-1630 (as Lord Lietuent) and 1616-1630 (as Chancellor)
* [[Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas]] of Spain (1559–1625), historian
* [[Thomas Heywood]] of England (1570?-1641), playwright, actor, and author
* [[Thomas Hobbes]] of England (1588–1679), philosopher
* [[Heinrich Holk]] (1599–1633) Danish-German mercenary and commander
* [[Henricus Hondius II]] of the Netherlands (1597–1651), cartographer and publisher
* [[Isaiah Horowitz]] (1565–1630), Rabbi and Jewish mystic
* [[Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Berkshire]] of England (1587–1669), nobleman
* [[Constantijn Huygens]] of the Netherlands (1596–1687), poet, composer, and secretary under Stadtholders Frederick Henry and William II
* [[Im Gyeong Eop]] of Korea (1594–1646), general
* [[Sigismondo d'India]] (1582–1629), Italian composer
* [[Nicholas Iquan]] (AKA Zheng Zhilong) of China (1604–1661), pirate and Ming Dynasty admiral
* [[Menasseh Ben Israel]] of Portugal (1604–1657), rabbi, kabbalist, scholar, writer, diplomat, printer, and publisher
* [[William Jaggard]] of England (1568–1623), printer and publisher
* [[Jan Janszoon]] of the Netherlands (1570? – c.1641), [[Barbary Pirate]]
* [[Willem Janszoon]] of the Netherlands (1570–1630), explorer and colonial governor
* [[Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar]] of Spain (1583–1641), poet, scholar, and painter
* [[Jörg Jenatsch]] of Switzerland (1596–1639), politician and military commander
* [[Jirgalang]] of Manchuria (1599–1655), nobleman, general, and statesman
* [[Johann Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar|Johann Ernst I]] (1594–1626), Duke of Saxe-Weimar, r. 1605–1620
* [[Inigo Jones]] of England (1573–1652), architect
* [[Ben Jonson]] of England (1572–1637), playwright, poet, and Poet Laureate, held post in 1619–1637
* [[Johannes Junius]] of [[Bamberg]] (1573–1628), Mayor of Bamberg and [[Bamberg witch trials|Bamberg witch trial]] suspect and victim
* [[Madam Ke]] of China (?–1627), adviser to the Tianqi Emperor
* [[Johannes Kepler]] (1571–1630), German mathematician and astronomer
* [[Hendrick de Keyser]] of the Netherlands (1565–1621), sculptor and architect
* [[Thomas de Keyser]] of the Netherlands (1596–1667), painter and architect
* [[Rostom of Kartli|Khosro Mirza]] of Kartli (1565–1658), Georgian Prince, general in the Persian army, and future King of Kartli
* [[Robert Killigrew]] of England (1580–1633), Member of Parliament and English Ambassador to the Netherlands
* [[Athanasius Kircher]] (1601?–1680), German Catholic theologian and scholar
* [[David Kirke]] of England (1597–1654), adventurer and English colonizer of Canada
* [[Stanisław Koniecpolski]] of Poland (1594?-1646), nobleman and military commander
* [[Thomas Lake]] of England (1567–1630), Member of Parliament and former Secretary of State
* [[Giovanni Lanfranco]] of [[Parma]] (1582–1647), painter
* [[William Laud]] of England (1573–1645), Anglican theologian and future Archbishop of Canterbury
* [[François Leclerc du Tremblay]] of France (1577–1638), friar and agent and [[Éminence grise|adviser]] of Cardinal Richelieu.
* [[Marc Lescarbot]] of France (1570–1641), author and lawyer
* [[Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven]] of Scotland (1582–1661), nobleman and general in the service of Sweden
* [[Christopher Levett]] of England (1586–1630), explorer and naval captain
* [[Johann Liss]] (1590?-1629), German painter
* [[Jerónimo Lobo]] of Portugal (1593–1678), [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] [[missionary]]
* [[5th Dalai Lama|Lobsang Gyatso]] of Tibet (1617–1682), [[Dalai Lama]] and future ruler of [[Tibet]], r. 1618–1682 (as Dalai Lama), 1642–1682 (as ruler of [[Tibet]])
* [[Adam Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus]] of Ireland (1568–1643), Lord Chancellor of Ireland, in office 1619–1639
* [[Christen Sørensen Longomontanus]] of Denmark (1562–1647), astronomer
* [[Hendrick Lucifer]] (1583–1627), Dutch Buccaneer
* [[Charles de Luynes]] of France (1578–1621), [[Constable of France]] and first [[Duke of Luynes]]
* [[Randal MacDonnell, 1st Earl of Antrim]] of Ireland (?-1636), nobleman and Scots-Irish politician
* Sir [[Henry Mainwaring]] of England (1587?–1653), pirate and English naval officer
* [[François de Malherbe]] of France (1555–1628), poet and literary critic
* [[Man Gui]] of China (?–1629), general and main commander of the Chinese army following the death of [[Yuan Chonghuan]]
* [[George Manners, 7th Earl of Rutland]] of England (1580–1641), Member of Parliament and nobleman
* [[Ernst von Mansfeld]] (1580–1626), German soldier
* [[Mao Wenlong]] of China (1579–1629), military commander
* [[Juan de Mariana]] of Spain (1536–1624), Catholic priest, historian, and [[Monarchomachs|Monarchomach]] political theorist
* [[Maria Anna of Spain]] (1606–1646), [[Infanta]] and future Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire
* [[Marie de' Medici]] (1575–1642), [[Queen dowager]] of France and former [[regent]] with her son Louis XIII
* [[Michel de Marillac]] of France (1563–1632), Minister of Justice under Louis XIII
* [[Giambattista Marino]] of Naples (1569–1625), poet
* [[Gervase Markham]] of England (1568–1637), poet and writer
* [[Tristano Martinelli]] of Mantua (1555–1630), actor
* [[Enrico Martínez]] of Spain (?–1632), hydraulic engineer
* [[John Mason (governor)|John Mason]] of England (1586–1635), sailor, explorer, cartographer, colonizer, and founder of [[New Hampshire]]
* [[Isaac Massa]] of the Netherlands (1586–1643), merchant, traveller, and diplomat
* [[Massasoit]] (1580?–1661), Chief of the [[Wampanoag people|Wampanoag]]
* [[Philip Massinger]] of England (1583–1640), playwright
* [[Tobie Matthew]] of England (1577–1655), Member of Parliament
* [[Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria|Maximilian I of Bavaria]] (1573–1651), Prince-Elector of Bavaria
* [[Cornelis Jacobszoon May]] of the Netherlands, explorer and first Director-general of [[New Netherland]]
* [[Cardinal Mazarin]] of Sicily (1602–1661), Cardinal, diplomat, and future Prime Minister of France
* [[Domenico Mazzocchi]] (1592–1665), Italian composer
* [[Afonso Mendes]], Prelate of Ethiopia and Catholic Patriarch of Ethiopia, held position (as Catholic Patriarch) 1622–1632
* [[Diego Carrillo de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Gelves]] of Spain (1570?-1631), nobleman and Viceroy of [[New Spain]], in office 1621–1624
* [[Metius|Adriaan Metius]] of the Netherlands (1571–1635), mathematician and astronomer
* [[Thomas Middleton]] of England (1580–1627), playwright and poet
* [[Daniël Mijtens]] of the Netherlands (1590–1648), painter
* [[Peter Minuit]] of the Netherlands (1589–1638), Director-General of New Netherland, in office 1626–1632
* [[Francis Mitchell (knight)|Francis Mitchell]] of England, Knight and Extortionist
* [[Miyamoto Musashi]] of Japan (1584?–1645), prominent samurai
* [[Francesco Molin]] of Venice (1575–1655), Naval commander and future Doge of Venice
* [[Giles Mompesson]] of England (1584–1663), corrupt politician
* [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester]] of England (1602–1671), Royalist Member of parliament and future Royalist commander during the English Civil War
* [[Richard Montagu]] of England (1577–1641), controversial Cleric and prelate
* [[Antoine de Montchrestien]] of France (1575–1621), soldier, dramatist, poet, and economist
* [[Claudio Monteverdi]] (1567–1643), Italian composer
* [[Mumtaz Mahal]] of India (1593–1631), Empress Consort of India (Wife of [[Shah Jahan]])
* [[Jens Munk]] of Norway (1579–1628), navigator, explorer, and [[captain at sea|naval captain]]
* [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo]] of Spain (1617–1682), painter
* [[Hugh Myddelton]] of Wales (1560–1631), [[entrepreneur]], engineer, [[Baronet]], and Member of Parliament
* [[Thomas Myddelton (younger)|Thomas Myddelton the Younger]] of Wales (1586–1666), Member of Parliament and future Parliamentary officer during the English Civil War
* [[Nemattanew]] (?–1622), Powhatan military commander and architect of the [[Jamestown Massacre]]
* [[Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên]] of Vietnam (1563–1635), [[Nguyễn Lords|Nguyễn Lord]] (subnational ruler of southern Vietnam), held position 1613–1635
* [[Nheçu]], Chief of the [[Guarani people|Guaraní]]
* [[Nur Jahan]] of Persia (1577–1645), Empress Consort of India (Wife of [[Jahangir]] and Stepmother of [[Shah Jahan]])
* [[John Nutt]] of England, pirate
* [[Pieter Nuyts]] of the Netherlands (1598–1655), Governor of the Dutch colony on Formosa (modern-day Taiwan) and ambassador to Japan, held position (as governor) 1627–1629
* [[Oldman (king)|Oldman]] of the [[Misquito Coast]] (?-1687), first King of the [[Miskito people#British-Miskito alliance|Miskito Kingdom]] (a British [[Protectorate]] on the eastern coasts of modern-day Nicaragua and Honduras), r. 1625–1687
* [[Opchanacanough]] (1554?-1644), Chief of the [[Powhatan Confederacy]], held position 1618–1644
* [[Martin Opitz]] of [[Silesia]] (1597–1639), poet
* [[William Oughtred]] of England (1575–1660), mathematician
* [[Owaneco]] (?–1626), Chief of the [[Mohegan]]s
* [[John Owen (epigrammatist)|John Owen]] of Wales (1564–1622), [[Epigrammatist]]
* [[Axel Oxenstierna]] of Sweden (1583–1654), [[Lord High Chancellor of Sweden]]
* [[Rodrigo Pacheco, 3rd Marquis of Cerralvo]] of Spain (1565?-1652), nobleman, [[Inquisitor]], and Viceroy of [[New Spain]], in office 1624–1635 (as Viceroy)
* [[Pedro Páez]] of Portugal (1564–1622), [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] missionary who converted Malak Sagad III
* [[Pope Innocent X|Cardinal Pamphili]] of Rome (1574–1655), Cardinal, [[Nuncio]], and future Pope
* [[Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim]] (1594–1632), German field marshal
* [[Hortensio Félix Paravicino]] of Spain (1580–1633), Court Preacher and poet
* [[Richard Parry (bishop)|Richard Parry]] of Wales (1560–1623), [[Bishop of St Asaph]] and translator of the Bible into Welsh Language
* [[Vincent de Paul]] of France (1581–1660), Catholic Priest
* [[Pecksuot]] (?–1624), [[Massachusett]] Chief
* [[Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc]] of France (1580–1637), astronomer and antiquarian
* [[Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland]] of England (1602–1668), Member of Parliament and future soldier during the [[English Civil War]]
* [[George Percy (governor)|George Percy]] of England (1580–1632?), explorer, author, soldier, and former governor of Virginia
* [[Richard Perkins (17th-century actor)|Richard Perkins]] of England (1585?-1650), actor
* [[Peter Philips]] of England (1560–1628), composer
* [[Michael Praetorius]] (1571–1621), German composer and organist
* [[Samuel Purchas]] of England (1575?–1626), travel writer
* [[John Pym]] of England (1584–1643), Member of Parliament and future [[Roundhead]] supporter during the [[English Civil War]]
* [[Francisco de Quevedo]] of Spain (1580–1645), nobleman, politician, and writer
* [[Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł]] of Lithuania (1595–1656), Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), in office 1623–1656
* [[Rembrandt]] of the Netherlands (1606–1669), painter and etcher
* [[Kiliaen van Rensselaer (merchant)|Kiliaen van Rensselaer]] of the Netherlands (1596?–1642), merchant, member of the [[Dutch West India Company]], and [[Patroon]] of the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck]]<ref name="WDL4068">{{cite web |url = http://www.wdl.org/en/item/4068/ |title = Freedoms, as Given by the Council of the Nineteen of the Chartered West India Company to All those who Want to Establish a Colony in New Netherland |website = [[World Digital Library]] |date = 1630 |access-date = 2013-07-28 }}</ref>
* Sir [[Thomas Roe]] of England (c.1581–1644), diplomat
* [[Henri, duc de Rohan|Henri de Rohan]] of France (1579–1638), nobleman, soldier, writer, and leader of the Huguenots.
* [[William Rowley]] of England (1585?-1626), playwright
* [[Peter Paul Rubens]] of Flanders (1577–1640), painter
* [[Johannes Rudbeckius]] of Sweden (1581–1646), Lutheran bishop
* [[Mulla Sadra]] of Persia (1571–1636), philosopher and [[Shia Islam|Shiite]] Islamic theologian
* [[Samoset]] (1590?–1655), Mohegan Sagamore and first Native American to encounter with the Settlers of the Plymouth Colony.
* Sir [[Edwin Sandys (American colonist)|Edwin Sandys]] (1561–1629), Colonial organizer of Virginia
* [[George Sandys]] (1577–1644), English traveller, colonist, and poet
* [[Lew Sapieha]] of Lithuania (1557–1633), Grand Chancellor of Lithuania (part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), in office 1589–1623
* [[Johann Hermann Schein]] (1586–1630), German composer
* [[Christoph Scheiner]] (1573?-1650), German Jesuit priest, physicist and astronomer
* [[Wilhelm Schickard]] (1592–1635), German inventor and mathematician
* [[Julius Schiller]] of Bavaria (1580–1627), astronomer
* [[Heinrich Schütz]] of Köstritz (1585–1672), composer and organist
* [[Adam von Schwarzenberg]] (1583–1641), nobleman and Chancellor of [[Brandenburg-Prussia]]
* [[Alexander Seaton]] of Scotland (?–1649?), Mercenary in the Service of Denmark
* [[Pierre Séguier]] of France (1588–1672), president and mortier in the parlement of Paris and future chancellor of France
* [[Alvaro Semedo]] of Portugal (1585?-1658), [[Jesuit China missions|Jesuit missionary in China]]
* [[Juan Pérez de la Serna]] (1573–1631), [[Archbishop of Mexico]], held position 1613–1627
* [[Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline]] of Scotland (1555–1622), lawyer, judge, and Lord Chancellor of Scotland
* [[Shahaji]] of Bijapur (1594–1664), Bijapurtan army chieftain
* [[Shahryar (Mughal prince)|Shahryar]] of India (1605–1638), Mughal Prince and [[Nur Jahan]]'s (his stepmother) candidate to the throne of India
* [[Shimazu Tadatsune]] (1576–1638), Daimyō of [[Satsuma Domain|Satsuma]]
* [[Robert Shirley]] of England (1581–1628), traveller, adventurer, and diplomat
* [[García de Silva Figueroa]] of Spain (1550–1624), Spanish ambassador to Persia
* [[John Smith of Jamestown|John Smith]] (1580?–1631), English soldier, adventurer, and leader of the colonists of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony.
* [[Willebrord Snellius]] of the Netherlands (1580–1626), astronomer and mathematician
* [[Jakub Sobieski]] of Poland (1590–1646), nobleman, parliamentarian, and military leader
* [[Luis Sotelo]] of Spain (1574–1624), [[Franciscan]] friar and martyr
* [[Henri de Sourdis]] of France (1593–1645), Archbishop of Bordeaux and military commander
* [[John Speed]] of England (1552–1627), historian and cartographer
* [[Ambrogio Spinola]] of Genoa (1569–1630), general in the service of Spain
* [[John Spottiswoode]] of Scotland (1565–1639), Archbishop of St. Andrews, historian, and future Lord Chancellor of Scotland
* [[Squanto]] (1585?–1622),  assist to and interpreter for the Pilgrims of the Plymouth colony who helped them stamp out the treaty between them and the Wampanoag.
* [[Myles Standish]] (1584–1656), English military advisor at the Plymouth Colony
* [[James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby]] of England (1607–1651), nobleman and future Royalist commander during the English Civil War
* [[Oliver St John, 5th Baron St John of Bletso]] (1603–1642), English politician and future Parliamentarian Army officer
* [[Nicholas Stone]] of England (1587–1647), sculptor and architect
* Sir [[John Suckling (politician)|John Suckling]] of England (1569–1627), Member of Parliament
* [[Sun Chengzong]] of China, [[Grand Secretary]] and Commander-in-chief of Chinese Forces
* [[Joachim Swartenhondt]] of the Netherlands (c.1566–1627), admiral
* [[Tamblot]] of the Philippines ({{floruit}} 1621–1622), indigenous Boholano [[babaylan|babaylan (priest)]] and inciter of a religiously motivated uprising in [[Bohol]]
* [[Alessandro Tassoni]] of Modena (1565–1635), poet and writer
* [[Hendrick ter Brugghen]] of the Netherlands (1588–1629), painter
* [[François Thijssen]] of the Netherlands (?–1638), explorer
* [[Thomas Tomkins]] of Wales (1572–1656), Cornish-Welsh composer
* [[Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne]] of France (1611–1675), soldier and future [[Marshal of France]]
* [[John Trevor (1596–1673)|Sir John Trevor Jr.]] of Wales (1596–1673), [[Puritan]] Member of Parliament and future member of the [[English Council of State|Council of State]] during the [[Commonwealth of England]]
* [[Richard Trevor (politician)|Sir Richard Trevor]] of Wales (1558–1638), landowner, soldier and politician.
* [[Sackville Trevor|Sir Sackville Trevor]] of Wales (1565–1633), Sea Captain and Member of Parliament
* [[Thomas Trevor (1586–1656)|Thomas Trevor]] of England (1586–1656), Anglo-Welsh lawyer, Member of Parliament, and judge
* [[Nicolas Trigault]] of France (1577–1628), Jesuit missionary in China
* [[Trịnh Tùng]] of Vietnam (1549–1623), [[Trịnh Lords|Trinh Lord]] (subnational ruler of Northern Vietnam), held position 1570–1623
* [[Trịnh Tráng]] of Vietnam (1571–1654), [[Trịnh Lords|Trinh Lord]] (subnational ruler of Northern Vietnam), held position 1623–1654
* [[Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly]] (1559–1632), German nobleman and co-Supreme commander of the forces of the Holy Roman Empire
* [[Uncas]] (c.1588–1683), Chief of the [[Mohegan]]s, held position 1626–1683
* [[Honoré d'Urfé]] of France (1568–1625), writer
* [[James Ussher]] of Ireland (1581–1656), Anglican theologian, [[Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)|Archbishop of Armagh]], and [[Primate of All Ireland]]
* [[Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette d'Épernon]] of France (1592–1661), nobleman and military commander
* [[Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette]] of France (1554–1642), nobleman
* [[Pietro Della Valle]] of Rome (1586–1652), traveller
* [[Anthony van Dyck]] of Flanders (1599–1641), painter
* [[Władysław IV Vasa|Władysław Vasa]] of Poland (1595–1648), Polish Prince, self-proclaimed Grand Duke of Moscow, and future King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
* [[Henry Vaughan (Welsh politician, born by 1586)|Sir Henry Vaughan the Elder]] of Derwydd, Wales (1587?–1659?), Royalist Member of Parliament
* [[William Vaughan (writer)|William Vaughan]] of Wales (1575–1641), colonial investor and writer
* [[Salomo de Veenboer]] of the Netherlands (?–1620), [[Barbary pirate]]
* [[Lope de Vega]] of Spain (1562–1635), playwright and poet
* [[Diego Velázquez]] of Spain (1599–1660), painter
* [[Horace Vere, 1st Baron Vere of Tilbury]] of England (1565–1635), military leader
* [[Cornelius Vermuyden]] of the Netherlands (1590–1677), engineer
* [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]] of England (1592–1628), nobleman, statesman, and military commander
* [[Mutio Vitelleschi]] of Rome (1563–1645), [[Superior General of the Society of Jesus]], held post 1615–1645
* [[Joost van den Vondel]] of the Netherlands (1587–1679), writer and playwright
* [[Luke Wadding]] of Ireland (1588–1657), [[Franciscan]] friar, historian, and founder of the [[Pontifical Irish College]]
* [[Albrecht von Wallenstein]] of Bohemia (1583–1634), co-Supreme commander of the forces of the Holy Roman Empire
* [[Edmund Waller]] of England (1606–1687), Member of Parliament and poet
* Sir [[James Ware (historian)|James Ware]] of Ireland (1594–1666), historian and politician
* [[John Webster]] of England (1580–1634), playwright
* [[Wei Zhongxian]] of China (1568–1627), [[Eunuch (court official)|Eunuch]]
* [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford|Thomas Wentworth Sr., 1st Earl of Strafford]] of England (1593–1641), statesman (specifically Member of Parliament and future Lord deputy and lieutenant of Ireland)
* [[John White (colonist priest)|John White]] of England (1575–1648), Anglican priest and colonial organizer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (not to be confused with [[John White (colonist and artist)|John White the governor]] of the [[Roanoke Colony]])
* [[Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar|Wilhelm]] (1598–1662), Duke of Saxe-Weimar, r. 1620–1662
* [[John Williams (Archbishop of York)|John Williams]] of England (1582–1650), [[Lord Chancellor]] and future Archbishop of York
* [[John Winthrop]] (1588–1649), Founder and future Governor of the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] (governor-elect in 1629)
* Sir [[Henry Wotton]] of England (1568–1639), author and diplomat
* [[Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton]] of England (1573–1624), nobleman, patron of the theater, and colonial investor
* [[Sir Richard Wynn, 2nd Baronet|Sir Richard Wynn]] of Wales (1588–1649), [[Baronet]], courtier, and Member of Parliament
* [[Xu Guangqi]] of China (1562–1633), [[Ming Dynasty]] bureaucrat, agricultural scientist, astronomer, and mathematician
* [[Yamada Nagamasa]] of Japan (1590–1630), adventurer, pirate, and military commander
* [[George Yeardley]] (1587–1627), Plantation owner and Governor of the Virginia Colony, held office in 1616–1617, 1619–1621, 1626–1627
* [[Henry Yelverton (attorney-general)|Sir Henry Yelverton]] of England (1566–1629), [[Attorney General for England and Wales]], in office 1617–1621
* [[Yi Gwal]] of Korea (1587–1624), general
* [[Yuan Chonghuan]] of China (1584–1630), military commander
* [[Jakub Zadzik]] of Poland (1582–1642), Grand Chancellor of Poland
* [[Krzysztof Zbaraski]] of Poland (1580–1627), nobleman and Polish-Lithuanian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
* [[Stanisław Żółkiewski]] of Poland (1547–1620), nobleman, military commander, and Grand Chancellor of Poland
* [[Zu Dashou]] of China (?–1656), general

==In fiction==
* The voyage of the [[Pilgrim Fathers|Pilgrims]], their first years of inhabitance in the New World, and the first Thanksgiving are often the subject of [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] themed specials and [[short films]]. One of the most notable examples is the episode "The [[Mayflower]] voyagers" of the 1988 mini-series ''[[This Is America, Charlie Brown]]'', which [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] has often aired on Thanksgiving Day (except in 2006 and 2007) along with ''[[A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving]]''. However, Thanksgiving would not become established as a national holiday until 1863 when President [[Abraham Lincoln]] [[Thanksgiving (United States)#Lincoln and the Civil War|proclaimed]] that it would be celebrated on the final Thursday in November. However, it did not become a [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]] until 1941 by an act of legislation by the [[Congress of the United States|U.S. Congress]].
* The voyage and struggles of the Pilgrims have also been the subject of some pieces of literature including ''[[Of Plymouth Plantation]]'' by [[William Bradford (Plymouth governor)|William Bradford]], who himself was an important figure of the 1620s, and [[Felicia Hemans]]' classic poem, "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers."<ref>{{cite book
|editor-last=Wolfson |editor-first=Susan J.|title=Felicia Hemans |year=2000 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton |isbn=978-0-691-05029-4 |pages=416–417 }}</ref>
* The classic novel ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'' by [[Alexandre Dumas, père]] takes place in 1628. The story includes fictionalized versions of actual historical events of this year, such as the siege of La Rochelle and the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham.
* ''[[The Angel's Command]]'', a children's adventure novel by British writer [[Brian Jacques]], is set in the year 1628.
* The [[1632 series|''1632'' series]], though set during the [[1630s|succeeding decade]], features many characters, such as Louis XIII and Prime Minister Cardinal Richelieu of France, Gustavus II of Sweden, and [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II]], who were active during the 1620s and uses events from the 1620s and early 1630s as a backdrop, most notably the [[Thirty Years' War]].
* The [[Doctor Who]] audio drama ''[[The Church and the Crown]]'' takes place during the year 1626.

{{Births and deaths by year for decade|162}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1620s}}
[[Category:1620s| ]]